Hame-tug



J.BiMOJaLLE (No Model.)

, Ham e Tug. No. 230,035.

Patented ,Iulyl3, 1880.

INVBNTOR jdc/ WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

NJ ETERB. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPflER, WASHINGTON, a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB E. MOELLER, OF GENTRALIA, ILLINOIS.

HAM E-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,035, dated July 13, 1880,

Application filed April 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB E. MOELLER, of Oentralia, in the county of Marion and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Hame-Tug; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that portion of car riage harness which is used for adjustably connecting the forward end of the trace with the hook or cockeye of the hames.

The object of my invention is to provide a hame-tug of simple and economical construction, which will admit of a ready and convenient means for hitching the end of the trace to it at any point of its length, to adapt the length of the trace to suit the size of the horse to which it is applied and afford means for connecting the tug with the saddle-pad girth and breeching-straps, and which will, furthermore, hold the trace in proper relation to the saddle by means which will also admit of the end of the trace being held up out of the way when the horse is unhitched, and dispense with the awkward and inconvenient method commonly employed of tying up the end of the trace into a loop.

The improvement consists, first, in a hame-tug formed of a metal plate provided with raised eyebars arranged at suitable distances apart alongits length and covered with a facing and back piece of leather stitched together at their edges, the face-piece being cut away at points opposite the eyebars to leave the eyebars only exposed, and in providingthe forward end of the metal plate with an uncovered eye orloop for securing the hame-tug t0 the hook or cockeye of the hame; second, in combining, with a hametug formed and connected with the hames in the manner next above described, a trace provided with a peculiarly-formed hook-clip, secured to its forward end, which'is adapted to interlock with the eyes of the metal plate of the hame-tug, as will be hereinafter more fully described; third, in a hame-tug provided with a metal stiffening plate having eyebars, to which the end of the trace may be hooked, a loop at the forward end of the plate for securing the hame-tug to the hames, and a keeperloop at the rear end of the plate to hold the end of the trace in line with the hame-tug, and an eyeloop upon the keeper-loop, to which In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the hame-tug embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side or edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a metal plate to which the other parts are connected.

The hame-tug A is formed of a metal plate, A, extending its entire length, which plate is faced and backed with leather strips to a, that extend beyond the plates a sufficient distance to admit of their being stitched together at their edges. The metal plate A is provided with eyebars a a a a arranged at suitable distances apart along its length, and project slightly above the face of the plate. The plate is recessed immediately below the eyebars to admit of the ready insertion of a hook around the eyebars, as will hereinafter appear.

The leather facing a is cut away at points di rectly opposite the eyebars, so that that portion of the plate will be uncovered to admit of the ready insertion of the trace-hook.

The forward end of the metal plate A is provided with an eyeloop, B, for attaching the end of the hame-tug to the cockeye or hook of the hames, and similar eyeloops 0 upon the upper side of the rear end of the plate serve as means for connecting the pad and saddle straps with the hame-tug, while eyeloops O G afford similar means for attaching the belly-band and shaft-girth t0 the same.

The rear end of the metal plate A has a keeper-loop, D, cast upon its face side, which serves to hold the trace in proper relation to the trace-tug and the other portions of the harness, as will hereinafter appear.

The upper and rear edge of the keeper-loop D is formed into an eyeloop, E, to which the breeching-strap is attached when the hame tug is used upon double harness.

The hame-tug will, by the above-described means, serve as a connecting-link between all of the essential portions of the harness, and admits of their being connected with each other in a most simple and effectual manner.

The forward end of the trace F is provided with a metal hook, G, that is bent to the form of a circle, leaving a short open segment, 9, of sufficient size to neatly fit the eyebar, and through which the eyebars a (L 860., of the metal plate may be passed into the circular ring of the hook. It will be thus seen that the trace may only be connected to the eyebars when its end is in such position with the bar that the open portion of the hook will come immediately opposite the eyebar, and may only be disconnected therefrom when it is in a similar position.

In order to attach the end of the trace to the hame-tugs, the trace is passed through the keeper-loop, and its hook end turned in such a position that the open segmentg of the hook G will come directly opposite the eyebar, and the trace is then hooked by a vibratory movement upon the eyebar, the hook fitting snugly into the recess of the plate.

The keeper-loop is of sufficient size to receive two thicknesses of the trace, so that the rear end of the trace may be brought back and passed through the keeper alongside of the forward end of the trace, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The end of the trace is thus securely held in a simple manner, so that it will not drag in the mud, upon the ground, or get beneath the horses feet.

The leather covering of the metal plate is made of separate short strips, and admits of the use of scrap-leather to form the tug, while the simple manner of securing the leather to the metal plate affords a neat finish and a very cheap method of construction.

The eyeloop B may be connected to a clip or loop upon the hame by a short strap or other suitable means, if desired.

I am aware that hame-tug couplings have been heretofore devised which employ a metal plate with a series of notches, into which a hook upon the end of the trace may be engaged; and also that a series of recessed plates have been held at suitable distances apart between a face and back strip, to be used with a trace having a hook secured to its end and operating in a manner similar to my invention, and do not broadly claim such construction.

What I claim as new is- In a hame-tug, the plate A, provided with loops upon one end for connecting it with the hames, and loops upon the other end to connect it with the harness-saddle and girth, and with eyebars a a arranged transversely at intervals upon the face of the plate, with circular depressions beneath them, in combination with a curved segmental hook-plate secured to the end of the trace to encircle and interlock with the eyebars, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

J AOOB EDWARD MOEL-LER.

Witnesses:

J on H. TorPING, EMMET EDGAR. 

